Irish Illustrated's Tim Prister, Tim O'Malley, and Drew Mentock break down Notre Dame's Week 3 27-10 win over Michigan State. The trio discusses how the Irish may have been a four-touchdown favorite, but that Pat Fitzgerald's Michigan State team upped its level of play and hung around, trailing by seven at the half. Tim Prister hits on Marcus Freeman's choice to opt for a fake punt, which cost the Irish but likely won't impact playcalling long-term. Meanwhile, the rushing attack struggled in the first half before Nolan James closed it out with a strong second-half performance. O'Malley and Prister both discussed Micah Gilbert's 170-yard performance, the most by a Notre Dame wide receiver since 2017. Even if Gilbert is ready to step into a larger role, the Irish will need another weapon to pair with him and Jordan Faison to help open up the offense. Finally, the trio touched on some outstanding defensive performances, highlighting Luke Talich's strong game with an interception and a passbreak-up, and how that can help the Irish secondary in the long run.

Irish Illustrated Insider discusses Saturday night's matchup with former Irish rival and multiple-era thorn-in-the-side Michigan State. What does Pat Fitzgerald bring to Sparty? Who on Notre Dame will break out offensively? What impact with forecasted thunderstorms have on the affair? And how the heck can Michigan State score more than 10 points?

Episode No. 27 of the Irish Illustrated Interviews podcast series is hosted by Drew Mentock and features a conversation with Fr. Andrew Budzinski, the pastor and rector at St. Matthew’s Cathedral of South Bend. Of course, they also call Notre Dame Stadium the Cathedral of College Football, and he has plenty of experience tending to passionate Fighting Irish fans in the House that Rockne Built. From 1993-95, he served as the Notre Dame Leprechaun, which included becoming a cheerleading team captain in his second year. After graduating, he also enjoyed a stint as a member of the media, co-hosting the University of Notre Dame’s football pregame radio show on U93. Our conversation dives into Fr. Andrew’s journey to Notre Dame after growing up in South Bend, the process of becoming the leprechaun and being a part of the team during the 1993 season. We also discuss what it was like to appear on the first episode of ESPN’s College GameDay on a college campus and his relationship with Lou Holtz.

Irish Illustrated Insider digs deep into Notre Dame's 52-0 victory over Rice. Who shined in reserve? Who have been Notre Dame's best players through two games? And what about the Irish running game as the Irish take on two more Big 10 foes in consecutive weeks?

Irish Illustrated's Tim Prister, Tim O’Malley, and Drew Mentock break down Notre Dame's dominant 52-0 win over Rice in the season's home opener. The trio discusses how dominant Notre Dame looked from the first snap, validating Marcus Freeman's decision to make Tuesday a "Bloody Tuesday". The choice had immediate dividends, as Notre Dame's defense flew to the football and forced a turnover on Rice's first drive and would go on to force four. Notre Dame's offense had a crisp, clean performance as well, as CJ Carr passed for over 250 yards and tossed in four touchdowns, including a deep shot to Micah Gilbert. Aneyas Williams did look off, but given the high volume and short week he should look okay moving forward. The guys also spend some time talking about Notre Dame's back-ups, and how they performed in live action and what it potentially means for the next few games.

Irish Illustrated Insider continues its examination of Notre Dame's 28-point, wildly overanalyzed opening win over Wisconsin. Where will the Irish improve most as September progresses? And what about Rice and that familiar option attack—this time out of the Shotgun.

Irish Illustrated's Tracking the Trail returns with host Drew Mentock, Irish Illustrated's senior recruiting analyst Eric Thomas and 247Sports and CBS Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Loy. The trio dives into 2027 quarterback commit Champ Monds, who suffered a season-ending injury to his non-throwing shoulder, limiting his prep career to 18 games after he reclassified to the class of 2028 earlier this year. Tom also discusses his trip to see another Irish commit, Abraham Sesay, out of Downingtown East (Exton, Penn.). The five-star edge rusher is the No. 22 overall prospect in the class of 2027, according to 247 Sports. Then, the guys preview the visitors coming to campus on Sept. 12 and Sept. 19 for Notre Dame’s first two home games of 2026 against Rice and Michigan State. Lastly, Tom and Eric answer a few subscriber questions.

Irish Illustrated Insider reviews Notre Dame's 41-13 victory over Wisconsin. Who shined on film? Why did the Irish start slowly in another opener? And what about that dominant second half?

Irish Illustrated's Tim Prister and Tim O’Malley break down Notre Dame's 41-13 win over Wisconsin from Lambeau Field. The pair discuss Notre Dame's second-half surge, including CJ Carr's improved passing, what drove the increase in rushing efficiency, and whether Sullivan Absher made a major difference at right guard. The pair also talk about Notre Dame's strong defensive performance and how Wisconsin out-schemed the Irish coaching staff in the first half.

Irish Illustrated Insider rolls four deep in this season-opening preview of Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Who'll start? Who'll earn playing time? Which freshmen might help? And will the heavily-favored Irish cover the three-touchdown spread?